Enunciator



Jan. 1l, 1938. H, F BUSES ET AL 2,104,895

ENUNCIATOR Filed Aug. 15, 1935 ill-'15.1-

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O DRAE. HAROLD i O lN-PLEAsx-z BE Siemen wai'- R.ULIRN AT 14 A l l 'N' PLEASE BE ssn-rea GUT-Wm. RETURN AT i INVEN-rm Rs UNHTED STATES PATENT OFFICE ENUNCIATOR Harry F. Buses and Joseph N. Huser, Indianapolis, Ind.

Application August 1s, 1935,"s`eria1 No. 35,977

, f. I 3 Claims.

This invention relates to enunciators and particularly to that type to be used by professional men in announcing their presence or absence, al-

though it will be understood that the device may Vliibe readily readable.

A further feature of the invention is the provision of means for moving the different legends into or out of View.

An additional feature is the provision of means for rendering a portion of the transparent mate- 'rial opaque, so that when the transparent section is adjusted to one position, the opaque portion will exclude certain portions of the legend from view and uncover such legend when the section is moved to another position.

It is also a feature of the invention to provide means for readily operating the movable portions of the device and for controlling the illuminating means.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the device showing certain legends to be enunciated.

Figure 2 is a similar View showing different legends to be enunciated.

Figure 3 is an end elevation thereof.

Figure 4 is an inner face view of the cover for the enunciator showing the transparent sections in position as indicated in Fig. 2.

Figure 5 is a sectional View as seen along line 5 5, Fig. 2, and,

Figure 6 is a plan view of one face of the movable section of the transparent material showing the opaque portion thereof.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral I indicates the casing of the enunciator, and 2 indicates the cover plate for the casing to be held in engagement with the casing in any suitable manner, as by means of screws 3.

The cover plate 2 is provided with elongated slots 4 and 5, one below the other, through which certain legends may be exposed to View, said plate also being provided with Windows tand 'I through which'hour and minute designating numerals may be exposed when desired.

Thelegends to be enunciated are printed or otherwise placed on transparent sheets 8 and 9, preferably of Celluloid, so that when the legends are in registration with the respective slots 4 and 5 and the interior of the casing illuminated,

such legends will be legible even at a distance.

The sheet 8 is preferably held stationary While the sheet 9 is movable or adjustable so that different legends may be exposed through the slot 5, thus announcing that the occupant of the room or building is either in or out, with 5 such other legends desired.

The sheet 9 is moved to different positions by means of a pin I0 which exten-ds through an elongated slot II in the sheet 9, preferably at its longitudinal center, sai-d pin I0 being carried 10 by a disc I2, which is in turn connected with a controlling button I3 extending exteriorly of the plate 2, the pin IIJ being eccentrically mounted on the disc I2 so that when the disc is rotated, the position of the sheet 9 Will be shifted with 15 respect to the slot 5.

When the occupant is absent and desires to announce the time of his return, a pair of dials I4 and I5 are rotatably mounted adjacent the inner face of the Cover plate 2, the dial I4 hav- 20 ing hour designating numerals thereon and the dial I5 having minute designating numerals thereon. The dials I4 and I5 are so mounted that their adjacent edges will register with the Windows 6 and 1 respectively, the size of the 25 windows being such that but one set of numerals will be exposed at one time.

The dials` I4 and I5 are also constructed of transparent material and are attached to the inner ends of turn buttons I6 and II respectively, 30 by means of screws I8 or the like, said dials being reinforced and held more or less rigid by means of washers I9 and 20, a Washer being placed on each face of the dials. The turn bottons I6 and I'I also project through the cover plate 2 so that they may be'readily manipulated for adjusting the dials with respect to the windows 6 and 1.

The sheet 9 rests in a recess or depression in the inner face of the cover 2 which aids in guiding the sheet when it is shifted from one posi- 40 tion to another, the guiding operation being aided by forming curved notches 2I and 22 in the lower edge of the sheet 9 in which the Washers I9 and 20 travel.

When the occupant is in it is preferable not to 45 show the hour and minute numerals, thus avoiding a misreading of the sign, this being accomplished by rendering one portion 23 of the sheet 9 opaque so that when the sheet 9 is positioned to indicate that the occupant is in, said opaque 50 section 23 will be moved to cover the windows 6 and 1 and exclude from view the numerals on the dials I4 and I5.

As previously stated, this device may be used for any suitable purpose, but in the present instance 55 it is shown as being used in a doctors oilice and in operation, the sheet 9 is positioned to bring the following announcement before the slot 5 In-Please be seated at the same time disposing the opaque portion 23 over the windows 6 and 'l to exclude the hour and minute indicating numerals from view. A bulb 24 is then illuminated through a switch 25 for illuminating the interior of the casing l and prominently display the matter in registration with the slots 4 and 5.

When the doctor leaves his office, the button i3 is operated to mo-ve the sheet 9 and display Out- Will return at at the same time removing the opaque portion 23 from over the windows 6` and 'l l when, by operating the buttons IB and I'L- theI dials I4 and l5 may be positionedv to indicate the hour and fraction thereof when the doctor may be expected to return. 4'

What we claim is: 1. In an enunciator, a casing, a cover plate therefor, said plate having openings therethrough, a stationary sheet cooperating with one of said openings for exhibiting a legend thereon, a movable sheet adapted to cooperate with the remainder of said openings in said plate, said movable sheet having an opaque portionadapted to be disposed over certain of saidv openings when the sheet is adjusted to one position and a transparent portion having d iierent legends thereon for registration with certain of said openings when the sheet is adjusted to diierent positions, means for shifting the position of the movable sheet for successively exhibiting the different legends thereon, and means for illuminating the inerior of said casing.

2. In an enunciator, a casing, a cover plate therefor, said plate having slots and Windows therethrough, a movable sheet having a transparent portion and an opaque portion, means for shifting the sheet for displaying different legends through one of said slots and dispose the opaque portion over said windows when shifted to one position, dials cooperating with said Windows, means for operating said dials for bringing different characters before said Windows, and `means for illuminating the interior of said casing.

,3, In an en'unciator, a casing, a cover therefor 'having slots andV windows therethrough, a stationary transparent sheet over one of said slots having a. legend thereon, a movable sheet hav- Uing a part. thereof transparent and a part opaque, the transparent portion having dierent legends thereon, means for shifting the position of said movable sheet to bring said opaque p01'- tion into or out of registration with said Windows and different legends before one of said slots, and

- legend containing dials cooperating With said Win- HARRY F. BUSES. JOSEPH N. HUSER. 

